Helmet recommendations
 

Looking for any advice on getting an autocross helmet. You are free to assume I'm a complete noob.

Thanks team.

Go to a motorcycle shop and try on a few different makers, the fits can differ.
The new carbon fiber helmets are lightweight but they get pricey.
Most tracks/events now require Snell MA or SA 05 or newer helmet. The 2000 helmet may not be accepted. Of course a shop shouldn't be selling them either.

Here's a really nice helmet, something tells me it's an expensive one.

Here's a good selection, you can get an idea of a few options.

First, get a SA10 helmet. While AX might allow a motorcyle helmet (MA), most track orgs do not so get an auto-rated helmet (SA) from the get go and you'll never be turned away from a driving event (or have to borrow a greasy used SA helmet just so you can run that day).

Second, the safety improvements between a 2005 and a 2010 are significant so get a Snell 2010 compliant helmet for the most protection.

Third, get a full-face helmet. Your mom still appreciates your good looks and I am quite sure that she wants your face to stay that way.

Fourth, get a helmet pre-drilled for a HANS device so you can use one later if you really get into performance driving and decide to install racing seats and 5-pt harnesses in your street car. Happens more often than you might think.

Last, choose the helmet that fits best, not the one that looks the coolest. Proper fit is the MOST important aspect of a helmet. The sizes are not always consistent between makes and often not even consistent between different models from the same manufacturer, so try on as many as you can to find the one that fits your particular head best.

Thanks much.

If you are planning to do PCA events in the Chicago section, you will NOT be allowed to wear a motorcycle helmet.

Bring your car with you! Put the helmet on, and sit in the car, with the top closed. Have your seat in the right position for track driving. Make sure you have proper headroom. This is pretty important if your are tall (above 6'2"). Some helmets are taller, some are more low profile.

If you wear glasses, practice putting on and off your eye wear.

Also, purchase a flame/fire proof bandallera (spelling???). This makes putting on and off the helmet a little easier, and keeps your helmet cleaner.

In Barrington is Northstart Motorsports. The owner is John Ruther. He is a past section president, and one of the Chief Driving Instructors for our section. He has a great helemt selection, and may even offer a discount (10%) to PCA member. I bought my HJC helmt from them last year.

Thanks for the tips -- may be worth a jaunt this weekend, then the backroads up to Lake Geneva...

Check out the backroads around New Glarus, Lena, and Nora. You want country roads ZZ, F, A, and G.

I would go with an open face helmet if your airbags are active (frontal). Do a search on full face helmets and air bags and you will see what I mean. Of course if you have no air bags then full face....just my personal opinion

I recall that the SCCA was moving to ban full face in air bag cars

I have a Simpson open face and quite like the fit.

I think Flavor was talking about a balaclava ;)

I'm certainly no expert on automotive helmets, as mine is a motorcycle helmet, but advice I can give: find a place that lets you try helmets on. Do not buy one online without having put it over your head. Many motorcycle gear shops will let you drop a helmet on your head and walk around for a while because they understand it's not as simple as picking one up and paying for it because it has a sweet flaming skull on the side. You need to spend some time in it, at least a half an hour to see if it's comfortable. I imagine you'd be able to do the same when buying an auto helmet.

Here's a few things to do:

-Take a headsock/balaclava with you since you'll probably be wearing one in-car anyways...and so you don't catch anything off of the demo helmets in the store that someone else has likely tried on before you...just in case.

- Start one size above what you think you'll need, better to start bigger than smaller. Put it on and see if you immediately feel a lot of pressure on your head...it's likely too small. If it feels really roomy and drops on with little effort then it's clearly too big. It should be a bit snug without feeling like it's crushing your head/face. If the size feels good overall but the cheekpads are making you make a duckface, you may be able to swap in cheekpads from a larger size helmet to give yourself a little more comfort there, as long as your face doesn't feel unsupported.

-Grab the helmet on the sides with your hands, or have someone else do it, and try to turn your head while keeping the helmet still. If you're able to move your head despite the cheekpads and other padding that's supposed to hold you in place, try the next size down. You don't want the helmet coming around on you in a collision or causing undue strain on your head/neck, and you want to be able to see, of course. Some movement will occur, but you shouldn't be able to twist it to where you're no longer looking through the visor and now looking at the inside walls of the helmet.

- Wear the helmet for about a half hour. You're going to be spending a good amount of time in that helmet, so you might as well see how it feels now. It may feel good for 5 minutes, but after 10-15 minutes it may start giving you a headache or the weight may be tiring your neck muscles. Shake your head around a little bit and see how much the helmet moves and how heavy it feels. Get a good feel for how it fits. Look around the rest of the store, shop around and let the time pass.

- Different model helmets are made for different shaped heads. Try a few different models from the same brand if the first one feels weird or uncomfortable. Some manufacturers, like Shoei and Arai, make a model meant for people with narrower heads/faces, and another meant for people with rounder/shorter heads/faces. The people in the store should know these things and should be able to size you up well for a helmet.

-Don't spend ungodly amounts of money, but don't cheap out too much either. When it comes to safety gear, be willing to spend the money to get a good product. Your life and health aren't worth a few hundred bucks' savings, right? For that matter, materials in helmets last about 5 years (provided you don't ever drop it, expose it to temp extremes, or put it to use and have it actually stop your head from getting caved in), so if it costs you $400, that's not a bad cost if it sees a lot of use over 5 years.

Again, I'm basing this on experience from riding, but I imagine it can't be very different for getting an auto racing helmet. I'd say it's probably even more important because you'll be in the immediate vicinity of many hard objects to make contact with. It's not really supposed to be a quick in-and-out process at the store unless you already known what you need, so set some time aside to go and try some helmets on for a part of the day.

I've had very good luck with Arai helmets (mostly for motorcycles, but quality is quality). The fit and finish are top shelf and I've always felt much less fatigue after a few hours in an Arai helmet compared to others I've worn.